


Find Me Way Out There

by Lonyn



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Murder Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-11-07 11:12:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17959391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonyn/pseuds/Lonyn
Summary: Kiba Ryder wakes up and finds herself in Andromeda. The problem is, she hadn't planned on going. To keep the betrayal and anger from consuming her she buries herself into Jien Garson's murder, and finds herself in Kadara Port trying to find out more about the mysterious Benefactor.





	1. Chapter 1

            The sudden sinking feeling of loneliness crashed upon her, like the cold waters of the Atlantic that one summer they actually had a family vacation in Massachusetts. She could remember even in the summer heat of August the trepidation of entering the ocean; icy cold water lapped at her ankles as the sun warmed her face.

            Her brother dove in, always ready to plunge into the depths. He was fearless in that sense, or maybe it was fear that drove him with how he dealt with his nerves. It was like going first on a presentation in school to rid the feeling of dread that came with speaking in front of your peers. She was calmer, calculating, she liked to soak up the situation and analyze the best course of action before charging in. Maybe it was more uplifting that way, to think of the meaning of every action, or maybe she was slower to act, letting the moment seep into her soul.

            She remembered looking back at the beach, their father smiling at their mother. It was so rare for them all to be together like this. Both of them were so obsessed with their work that by the time they were teenagers they saw less and less of them. The Citadel became their babysitter, and she remembered spending many days getting into trouble with C-Sec because the two of them needed stimulation to keep them out of trouble.

            It wasn’t long before their father enrolled them into so many extracurriculars that by the time they made it home at night they were barely awake enough to eat supper before falling asleep. It made them star recruits, though their name gave them a leg up on the others. She excelled, made it into the N7 program, never turned back and flew further. She was lucky that when everything came crashing down her superiors were able to overlook her father’s crimes. Her brother didn’t fare so well, one too many outbursts at his commanding officers over their father’s mistreatment caused him to quietly get posted to the worst duties available.

            The distance grew, their family breaking so badly as their mother lay dying. It hurt, she hated seeing her that way. Her mother was so strong, her faith in the spirits beyond never wavering. She was ready to face death, yet it broke their father.

            Their smiles on the beach that day were such a distant memory. A memory that especially now felt illusory, a memory that was now tainted by waking up and finding herself in Andromeda. It was hours now, she didn’t know how many, that she sat staring out a window into the emptiness of the galaxy. Once she’d been excited to be amongst the stars, but the fear of flying too far from Earth—her land, her home—as she grew older led her to appreciate the blue gem even more. It was only a few days travel. But now… She would never step foot on Earth again. She would never see her friends, never see _him_ again.

            She felt cold, empty, the tightness in her chest wouldn’t go away. Alec’s words were ringing like a bell that wouldn’t stop. _I couldn’t break this family apart more than it already was. You were being selfish, Kiba!_ She couldn’t believe the anger that washed over her, the anger that she hadn’t felt this terribly since her mother died. She never believed her father could betray her like this, that her own brother would go along with it.

            Sessue looked broken hearted when she turned on him. The tears had welled in his eyes, his sensitive soul was breaking too. She didn’t know if she could ever bring herself to forgive him. Until they came back from Habitat 7 and Sess was near death. She sat with him until Lexi and Harry came to tell her that Alec transferred SAM to him, the AI beginning to work its magic and repair him. They also said that her father was in a coma, that they weren’t sure he’d be waking up.

            She disappeared from their sights before they could assign her into some box that she didn’t want to be in, found a spot that only she could find. She wasn’t sure what she would do, but the anger was coursing through her veins, the bitterness seeping deeper, the uneasiness and anxious feeling was crawling through her nerves and she wanted it to end. She couldn’t be here, didn’t want to be here. She heard they would be docking on the Nexus soon. She wondered if she could get lost there, or lose herself on a colony that was being built.

            But all she really wanted was to be alone. For how long she didn’t know.

            The nexus was an absolute disappointment when she managed to peel herself away from the window. She slowly lurked her way through the shadows on the station, not too many people were around, the power was down so low that it was mostly dark. It made it extremely easy to slink along, listening, soaking in this utter disaster of a situation.

            It wasn’t long before she found out the head of this operation wasn’t Jien Garson as it should have been. Supposedly she’d conveniently died when the scourge hit the station. It seemed way too coincidental, and the lack of a proper investigation seemed suspect as well. Before she made her way into the N7 program she worked with the Alliance Police and she hadn’t seen a case so badly handled since the cover-up scandal she stumbled onto nine years ago when she was nineteen.

            It led to her hacking into the system and reading Jien’s case report, which was followed by her heading to the apartments and hacking her way in there. She was glad for her N7 training, she wasn’t an expert by any means in every level of training she received, but she paid attention and absorbed what was necessary.

            She wandered around the small room, using the scanner in her omni tool to look around. Bio scans showed that Jien wasn’t the only one in here when she died. It was murder as she suspected from the beginning. Something seemed off about the room as well, it wasn’t as big as the initial specifications showed, and when she continued to snoop she found a hidden door.

            It wasn’t difficult to hack into her system, listening to her desperate message. There was a benefactor to this operation, one that conveniently swooped in to fund Jien’s dream once the money dried up. Whomever it was, they were here, they murdered her, or they at least played a part. Maybe the others did die from the scourge, but Jien certainly hadn’t.

            After soaking up all the clues she could she was gone, wandering through the Nexus again to see what else she could find. Would this mysterious benefactor still be on board? Would they have gone back into cryostasis to avoid suspicion? Or would they be so under the radar that no one would be any the wiser if they were lurking in the shadows?

            She learned many things by sifting through the records despite some things being tampered with or destroyed. There was a mutiny, an uprising, things hadn’t gone smoothly at all, and many people were exiled when they wouldn’t fall in line. The benefactor wouldn’t go back on ice. They would escape to start their own operation as well. Someone like that had friends, followers, and there was a whole crop of people who were woken up when they weren’t scheduled. They were unaccounted for along with an important ship missing.

            Kadara Port. She had a feeling, and something felt as though it was guiding her along. If she was going to find more clues to who this benefactor was, she would find the answers there. She wasn’t sure why she even cared, but if she didn’t find something to cling to in this hopeless place, she would surely go mad from fury.

 

~~

 

            Reyes remembered her. She reminded him of the earth; hooded eyes like smoky quartz, hair born from the rich brown bark of the trees, and skin like desert sand bathed with the copper glow of a sunset. He saw she still wore a pendant that looked like it was torn from the sky after a tumultuous storm. Before there was a calm to her, a peaceful aura, though now it seemed she shed it. Something he wasn’t quite sure of took its place.

            Her squad mates called her Fang. The softness of her then belied that moniker, though now it seemed it fit quite well. He was watching her, followed her, absolutely astounded to see someone he actually knew from the Milky Way here in the port of Kadara. Someone who’d caught his eye, someone he wished he’d said more to back when he had the chance.

            One of Sloane’s cronies was hassling her, demanding a protection fee. She was sly with her movements, letting that man think he had her cornered down a dark alleyway, yet he knew she played him to her advantage. Her movement was so swift the idiot barely knew what happened as he was gasping for air, crumbling to his knees, clutching his throat.

            He thought he was lost in the shadows himself, but somehow he lost sight of her. When he felt his arm wrench behind his back he knew exactly who flanked him and shoved him against the wall.

            He let out a chuckle, “It’s more polite to buy me a drink first.”

            Her grip tightened at his wrist, her other hand planted at the back of his neck keeping him pinned. “I don’t appreciate being followed,” her words were singed with a sharp edge, blunt, pissed.

            “I know you, Fang, and you know me.” There was a slight ease in her body, the tension surrounding them lifting only slightly. “I was your pilot once.”

            Silence slipped between them, thrumming slowly, his shoulder aching. “Many moons ago, Anubis.” She released him from her vicelike grip, and he straightened, rolling out his shoulder as he soaked in the sight of her close up. There was heat to those smoky eyes, brows knit in a tight scowl. He remembered her so differently.

            “Reyes Vidal,” he offered up his hand to her, “I don’t care for codenames.” When she breezed past him he felt stunned at her rebuff. “Wait, Fang, hold on,” his hand brushed against her arm, the heat of her skin gifted a tingle that rushed from his fingertips and beyond. “Have a drink with me,” he said when he finally caught his breath again.

            “What’s your game, Reyes?” She stood toe to toe with him, intimidating in all her stature.

            “No games. Just a quick drink between two old comrades. I promise.”

 

~~

 

            Her gaze was piercing as she watched him over her drink. There was pain in those eyes, loss, and he wanted to know just what happened to make her feel this way. Maybe she came to Andromeda to escape it all, and though he was curious he couldn’t bring himself to pry. He knew if he did she’d snap, she’d leave, and she’d be lost to the wind as she was so long ago.

            “When did you arrive to Kadara Port,” he asked, taking a sip of his drink as the music pounded outside his private room.

            “Few days ago,” she took a sip, looking around, soaking in her surroundings.

            “And how are you liking our fine little town?”

            “Who the fuck put Sloane in charge? It’s as if the mafia rolled into town,” she was blunt; the words on her tongue acidic.

            He couldn’t help cracking a smirk, if she was against Sloane she’d be a fantastic ally to have around. “Not a fan of her? I admit I didn’t run in the same circles as her during our military days, but she’s a piece of work here.”

            “So who put her in charge?”

            “Why she did of course. As the Outlaws enjoy telling the tale, she swooped in and singlehandedly took down each Kett with her bare hands.”

            She scoffed, and the small twitch to her lips let him know he was at least gaining some ground. “Right.”

            “She gained a popular following after shit went down on the Nexus.”

            “Were you apart of it?”

            He shook his head, “that I was not. However, I wasn’t going to stick around and watch the shitshow. I’m sure it’s still fantastic there.”

            “The Ark arrived,” she said, and he watched the press of her lips. She hadn’t meant to let that slip, but he was already wondering if it had with her arrival.

            “I gathered that since you’re here,” he said smoothly, and a small smirk spread on her lips.

            “You’re perceptive, Reyes.”

            “I like to believe that nothing gets by me. I like to be well informed.”

            Her head cocked to the side and she leaned forward just a little. “So what do you know about Jien Garson’s murder?”

            His brows raised, he was intrigued. “Only that supposedly the scourge killed her, but anyone with a working brain knew that something foul was at play. Did you find something out?”

            She nodded, leaned back in her seat now and took another sip of her drink. “Her project ran dry so a ‘benefactor’ swooped in last minute and funded it. Unlimited.”

            He let out a whistle, “You would have to have some serious credit to pull that off.”

            “Apparently they believed Shepard’s warnings about the reapers. They wanted out of the galaxy pretty badly it seems.”

            “You think this benefactor murdered Jien,” he asked, leaning forward himself.

            “She seemed to think that’s who was after her. What better way to throw chaos into the Nexus? With Jien gone this anonymous benefactor is free to do whatever they please without following the rules.”

            “So what,” he leaned back, stretching his arm across the back of his couch, “you intend on tracking down this mysterious, homicidal benefactor and what? Stopping them?”

            “I’ve got nothing better to do.”

            “I’m getting the feeling that you were also an AP in the military,” he mused. “You came all the way to Andromeda to play police?”

            The look she gave him was frigid at that, the semi warm banter that they had been engaging in was lost now. “It’s better than being a part of the mafia, or your smuggling ring.”

            He chuckled, “Sometimes we do what we’re best at.”

            She stood, and he knew that the end of their conversation was nearing. “You went from being a decorated Alliance pilot to a thieving bastard here out in Andromeda. You can say what you want about me, but I’ll choose my honor wisely.”

            She was almost to the door when he hurriedly got up. “Fang, wait… If you need anything, let me know. I can help you.”

            She gave him a look that chilled his bones. “And what would I have to give you in return?”

            “Absolutely nothing, I promise. It can get dirty out here, nasty, it’s just the way things have worked out. I adapted to what I had to in order to survive. I admit I’m far from perfect, but I mean it. If you need any help, come to me. Questions? Suspicions? Supplies? You name it. I can help you get them.”

            Her gaze was penetrating again. He wasn’t sure what was going on behind that fiery gaze. “I’ll be in touch.” She finally said, and he exhaled the breath he’d been holding. She brought up her arm, typed something onto her omni tool, and in a moment his own began to ping.

            “How did you…?” He stared at her, watching that little smirk appear at her lips again. Without another word she was out of the door and gone. He began to wonder if he should’ve offered her resources, but as long as it wasn’t his head she was after, he thought he was safely in the clear. Maybe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this sooner D: Work makes me too tired to read sometimes Dx

            The shuttle rocked slightly in the wind, perched atop a towering mountaintop. The smell of sulfur didn’t seem so bad up here, though she kept to her shuttle when she wasn’t near the port. She stole what she needed from the Nexus before she came here, but this shuttle was already well equipped for exploration, it even had an all-terrain motorcycle for single exploration.

            The shuttle was bigger than the typical Alliance Kodiak, but too small to house more than a few man crew. She had a water purification system, and all the terrible tasting MREs she needed just in case, but the port was surprisingly well stocked with plenty of essentials for survival.

            She was reading through information on her data pad, she’d used a program to quietly connect to the Nexus’s database without them knowing. It was difficult though to find suspects as data was damaged when they hit the scourge, and some was scrubbed right after. It was all too convenient. She knew whomever this benefactor was would not have had any idea about how the scourge would hit them, but they lucked into an extremely beneficial opportunity.

            She came across Reyes’s file, but his was badly damaged as well, though she assumed that was more than likely the smuggler’s own doing. The only thing she knew about him was that he was former Alliance and a pilot. They had one mission together, one that she could remember catching each other’s eyes on. They didn’t interact, but she knew the look he gave her. He was one of those bad boys, and she had just started seeing…

            She shook the memory from her thoughts, though the look he gave her back then was akin to the look he gave her now that sent shivers down her spine. However the ache in her heart began to throb. She couldn’t quite fathom how she fell asleep one day to only wake up and find out that everyone she knew and loved were now dead.

            She found the anger beginning to swell again, but the guilt was also washing over her. She left both her father and brother in a state of unknown. Though she checked the medical logs daily, she still felt like she should be there for them despite the bitterness that coursed through her. There was a bad taste in her mouth, one that she was unable to wash away. She checked the logs again, however, and felt relief to see that Sessue had already been discharged and was already out on a mission as Pathfinder. Alec was still in a coma, the vital signs weren’t looking good.

            About to put her data pad away, it suddenly pinged with a new message before she could set it down. Reyes’s name was boldened before her, and she was glad she scrubbed her name completely from this channel. She didn’t want him to know who she was; she didn’t want anyone to know.

            _You are one tough woman to find. I’ve concluded that you are not staying in Kadara Port, which makes me curious about your special hideout. Anyway, I know someone who could benefit from your military expertise, if you’re willing to take on a job. I would pay you of course. Come see me at Tartarus if you’re interested._

_Reyes_

            She debated on whether or not she should go, but there was a chance that the more people she helped the more information she could possibly discover. It didn’t hurt to make contacts within the port. Besides, the more time she spent by herself the more time she reflected on her circumstances. She wanted to believe this was a terrible dream she’d wake up from, but it was a nightmare she wouldn’t be able to escape. She knew this, but it didn’t make it any easier to process.

            She made her way into Tartarus, the beat of the music drowning out the thousands of thoughts running through her mind. She didn’t want to think about the club she’d met _him_ at, two individuals trying to escape the outing their friends had dragged them to. They caught each other’s eyes, both of them wanting to leave. They found their excuse when they danced together, drowning in bass, then disappeared from their friends. It hurt to think she would never see him again after four years together; more so that he was dead and buried. It wasn’t as if she could call him and tell him how sorry she was.

            She made her way upstairs, letting herself in to Reyes’s room. She immediately shut herself off from her racing thoughts and she watched as he quickly got off the comm with whomever he was speaking to.

            “Ah, it’s good to see you,” he said, motioning for her to sit.

            She stood, however, not wanting to get too comfortable in his presence. “What did you want to see me for?”

            “There’s a doctor here in the slums. He used to work for the Outlaws until they turned a formula he concocted into drugs that Sloane has exploited for more money. He’s a good man, but the Outlaws keep harassing him. It might benefit you in the long run; perhaps he knows something about this benefactor of yours.”

            “What makes you think that,” she asked, brow raising.

            “He’s one of the highest ranked doctors that came aboard the Nexus. It’s why he was _on_ the Nexus rather than the Ark.”

            “Then why is he on Kadara?”

            He shrugged, “I’m not sure about that one, we aren’t exactly good friends.”

            She let out a sigh, but he had some good points. “Fine, I’ll go talk to him and see if he needs anything.”

            There was a beat of silence, a span of time that they watched each other curiously. She wondered what he was thinking about, those hazel eyes had mischief behind them, much like the young man she met when they were in their early twenties. She had just started dating her boyfriend, and though she wasn’t one for being tied down, she just knew that indulging herself in desires with the handsome pilot would probably end up being a disaster. The looks they gave each other would have to be enough, the flirty banter they engaged in once or twice would never be anything more.

            They never exchanged information, and she assumed he never looked into the crew that was on their mission. If he had, he would’ve inquired about her being Ryder, the Pathfinder’s daughter. He probably already tried to do some digging, but since he hadn’t brought it up she thought she was still in the clear. Someone as smug as him would’ve already called her by her first name.

            “You know, I tried to find you back in the day,” he admitted, and to that she was surprised. “I thought we might have had something for a minute.”

            She raised a brow his way. So he did try to find her. “It would’ve ended in disaster.”

            He chuckled, “You think you know me, Fang, but you really know nothing,” he shook his head. He almost looked disappointed at her judgments. “I didn’t have the clearance to look at our mission records and your squad was quite tight-lipped. You were gone on the wind that you blew in on.”

            She snorted, “I was already with…” She shook her head. “Never mind, nothing. I’ll find your doctor.” Before she could leave he spoke up once more.

            “Want to tell me your real name,” he inquired.

            She looked over her shoulder at him, “It’s more fun this way,” she teased, and made her way out the door.

            She berated herself afterwards. Not even a few weeks here and she was flirting with him like she wasn’t just in a relationship? Well, it only seemed like a hot minute, but she hated herself nonetheless for it. _He_ deserved better than her, better than what she did to him, but there was an undeniable spark from Reyes that was trying to bring her back.

            She couldn’t let it happen, she refused to. It would dishonor his memory and she wanted no part in it despite the aching loneliness that tried to keep her there in Reyes’s room for a warm moment longer.

            She made her way through the slums which were mostly shipping containers. It didn’t take her long to come across a makeshift clinic and a tired doctor amongst several patients. He was scanning one, talking to another, and glanced over when she came into view.

            “You look well enough. My patients are usually leaking from somewhere,” he quipped, and she leaned against the wall.

            “No leaks, but I heard you were having some trouble.”

            He frowned, tending to his patient. “So what, you work for the Collective? I want no part of another gang.”

            “I’m not, but you used to work for Sloane? Seems like you’d be used to working with one by now.”

            “Her operation was poorly run, I quit when she started using my formula to addict the population to drugs. It shared properties with penicillin, but in large doses it causes hallucinations. She didn’t care when I shared my concern.”

            “So now you operate a clinic in the slums,” she said, more a statement than a question.

            He sighed, “Because of my formula many people have died… If I can atone for my mistakes and this is how, then so be it… But…”

            “But what?”

            “I’m not a fighter. What about you,” he asked.

            “Former Alliance,” she told him, trying not to spill every detail.

            “Listen… it would really help if you could steal my formula back. It would prevent Sloane from creating more, at least until she finds someone else to figure it out. I would be grateful if you could do that, but I understand if you don’t want to.”

            “Give me the coordinates,” she said, and he looked relieved.

            “Please, be careful, but if you get into any trouble, I’m here for you.”

            She nodded, exchanging information with him, and made her way out into the chasm, heading for the gate. She stopped however when she felt a pair of eyes on her and she looked up to see Reyes looking down at her from the second floor deck of Tartarus.

            “I trust you found him alright?”

            She stared up at him a moment, then down at the ground. The bitter loneliness was getting to her already, leaving her feeling needy, and despite the anger with herself and everything else… she wanted that companionship. She missed her squad, her friends.

            “I’m heading out to take care of something. Want to join me,” she called up to him and saw his brows raise in surprise.

            “Well, well, are you asking me out on a date?”

            “If a date to you means killing people and stealing stuff then sure,” she dryly replied.

            He chuckled as he placed his palm on his chest. “A woman after my heart.” He went back inside joining her minutes later as she waited out front for him.

            “I figured we could take your shuttle,” she said, not wanting him to know what she had just yet.

            “So mysterious, I would say you’re trying to keep me off your trail.”

            “Just because we sort of know each other, Vidal, doesn’t mean we _know_ each other.”

            He scoffed, “Hah, I am probably the _only_ person in Kadara Port who isn’t eagerly trying to track you down.”

            “What’s that supposed to mean,” she followed after him as he led her up some stairs that were carved into the crevasse.

            “Sloane wants to know who nearly killed one of her cronies. After he could speak again he told her all about you and she wants you found dead or alive. She apparently isn’t picky when it comes to you.”

            “Is there some reason you didn’t tell me this before?”

            He chuckled, “Someone as smart as you already knew this. Besides, I knew for a fact you wouldn’t be hanging around the Port, so I assume you’re either posting yourself in orbit on a ship or you’ve found some fancy cave out in the wilds.”

            She had to smile at how capable he thought of her. It wasn’t long before he led her up to a cave with a mouth wide enough to house a shuttle. Once they boarded he planted himself in the pilot’s seat and she couldn’t help the déjà vu that came over her when he looked over his shoulder at her.

            “What was it, four years ago? Well, more than that now, but you know what I mean.”

            She bit her lower lip as she thought about it. When she boarded his shuttle back then their eyes had caught. It was one of those moments, one where she had to do a double take much like he did. She felt his gaze linger even after she turned back to her squad mates.

            “Something like that.” She sat in the co-pilot’s seat, looking forward, feeling his gaze upon her now until he began to work his magic.

            “You’re different now.” She felt herself bristle at that; she didn’t want to think about what her father did in bringing her here. “If I may ask—”

            “No.” She immediately shut him down. “I’m not here to be your best friend, Reyes. If you want someone to reminisce with, find someone else.”

            He was quiet as he flew them to the coordinates she gave him. The soft hum of the shuttle was relaxing despite the tense feeling in the air between them.

            “Something happened,” he started softly and she let out a heavy sigh.

            “Reyes—”

            “It will do your heart and soul no good to cling to it, whatever it is. I won’t tell you to get over it. I’ve wanted to punch everyone who said that to me back then, but this… It may not be pretty, but this could be a new start. I can be that friend... If you need it.”

            His hazel eyes were sincere. She hadn’t seen that kind of sincerity in what already felt like forever. She craved that closeness, that desire to forget everything about the Milky Way, but in this moment she could only nod.

            “Anger will consume you… I know that for a fact,” his voice was soft, and then he was quiet after that. He stopped the shuttle near the small compound, and he put on a helmet before they exited the shuttle. She led the way, pulling out her sniper rifle, listening to him whistle.

            “That’s one beauty of a rifle. Black Widow?”

            “Yeah, good eye.”

            “Didn’t Shepard used to use that?”

            She chuckled, “Yeah, she did.”

            “Oh, by the way, I prefer to remain anonymous on our little date here. I don’t need Sloane knowing I’m helping someone do this. I prefer to remain out of the politics here in Kadara. I get better jobs when people believe I’m not on either side.”

            “Whose side are you on?”

            “No one’s, but I’m not exactly a fan of Sloane’s ways.”

            “Convenient.”

            “I mean to survive, my dear. Something you’d do well to learn while you’re out here. Though judging by that N7 armor of yours, you know quite a bit about it already.”

            They were quiet as she perched herself atop a rock a good distance from the camp. Reyes made his way in quietly to flank from the other side, radioing her way when he was in position. She steadied her breathing as she looked through her scope. Many guards were wandering around the compound all wearing Outlaw identification. Did she feel guilty that she was about to cut them down without them knowing? In a way she did, however, the fact that they were guarding the location of a drug that was being produced to deliberately addict the exiles here would allow her to sleep comfortably at night.

            One shot for each guard was all she needed as they began a mad scramble, their shouts of sniper reached her ears. Reyes began to cut down the ones who took cover, and she made quick work of the rest of them. When he signaled an all clear to her she began to approach the compound. He was scouring the location for extra parts and she made her way into the building.

            After arguing with the Asari inside, she finally knocked her out after she told Kiba to fuck off, Reyes popping in behind her.

            He scoffed, “She wasn’t a doctor. She was lying out of her ass.”

            “I figured as much. Ryota was up front about his involvement.” She wiped the computers clean, deleting everything then destroying it with a healthy dose of bullets from her assault rifle. Once they were done sweeping the place, Reyes tossed a grenade inside for extra insurance. They rushed back to the shuttle, adrenaline still coursing through them as they took their helmets off.

            “I would have to say this is one of the best dates I’ve ever been on,” he said and she shook her head.

            “If this is your idea of a date, it’s awful.”

            He smirked, moving only a little closer to her. “I have _much_ better ideas for dates, however this was your idea.”

            “So what would you suggest then?”

            He smirked, stepping a little closer, “Something more intimate. Dinner, drinks, _dancing_.”

            She didn’t move, but the mood immediately shifted. She thought about _him_ , couldn’t help but long for his touch, his voice. _Dancing_. She swallowed hard as she sat in the co-pilot’s seat, and he cleared his throat.

            “Apologies I didn’t—”

            “No, don’t… Don’t apologize,” she told him as he sat in his seat. “It’s not your fault… It’s easy to blame everyone but… You’ve been nothing but helpful… So thank you.”

            “Look, Fang, I want to tell…” she looked over to him when he stumbled over his words, but shook his head. “Nothing, it’s… Nothing.”

            Silence spanned between them on the ride back to the slums. Her thoughts were all over the place, she was angry with herself, but not with him. She was attracted to him, but it felt like it was a betrayal despite how many times she told herself that he was gone. She only wanted to forget, and she knew what she desired to do, but she couldn’t.

            “Where are you going,” he asked as they made it down to the bottom of the stairs. When she didn’t answer, only staring out into the emptiness she could hear him sigh. “If you need anything… Don’t hesitate to stop by.”

            She began walking, her thoughts driving her. She would tell Ryota tomorrow that she found the base and destroyed it all. For now, she wanted to get back to her shuttle and disappear onto a mountain top, listening to the wind tell her stories as she slept. She’d dream of _him_ , continuing to be haunted, but also conflicted.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for their special comments! :D You guys keep me going with your lovely words ^^

            Kiba jolted awake, cold sweat forming at her brow. Her head was throbbing, her breath was short, and she couldn’t shake the dream she just had. But she didn’t think it was a dream, it felt like a _memory_. It was so vivid, and so strange. It was from their father’s point of view. She saw him talking to people about his AI project SAM, then suddenly she was seeing her mother, clear as day telling Alec that what she had was terminal.

            She wiped at her forehead, finally catching her breath. She reached over for her thermos sucking down the water that was still cool inside. The chill down her throat was welcome, and she laid back to stare up at the ceiling. The soft blue glow of the control panel up front shone, casting a relaxing glow inside her shuttle, but thoughts were pouring through her mind. That didn’t seem like any ordinary dream or memory, especially when she was seeing it directly from her father’s eyes.

            What the hell happened? Then it hit her, and she sat up again reaching for a data pad. She still had her implant that connected her to SAM, and despite her shutting down the locator, she must still be tapped into it. Sess must’ve done something, triggered something, and since he was more deeply connected to SAM now, it must’ve had something to do with their dad transferring the bulk of it to Sess.

            She flipped through the logs on the Nexus. He was finished with Eos and according to the mission statements, he unlocked some sort of vault that was supposedly terraforming the planet. Slowly Eos’s radiation had been dropping and he already made his way to another planet, one that they almost crashed on. It seemed the Kett were after her brother as well. She frowned, trying to ignore the need that she should be there beside him. If he stood up to their father she wouldn’t be here right now, but he was always a pushover when it came to Alec. He idolized the man more than he should have, and it still burned that he did nothing to stop him from taking her here.

            He knew, and she knew he knew. He would have feigned ignorance, but Sess couldn’t lie to her. He never could, and she knew immediately by the look in his eyes. The logs showed he was on Voeld now, the cold world would keep him busy for now. She hoped he didn’t come here, she didn’t _need_ him to come here. She wasn’t ready to see him yet, and she didn’t know when she would be.

            Eventually she was finally able to fall back asleep, and she slept restlessly most of the day. It wasn’t until the afternoon that she finally couldn’t stand it any longer. She needed a drink, needed to forget that memory trigger she experienced.

            She made her way through the slums after parking her shuttle in a cave opening nearby, putting its cloaking mechanism to good use. However, when she made her way through the gate she was met by several guns pointing in her face.

            “What’s all this about,” she asked the Warden who had been letting her go on her way when she popped through here. She paid him some credits and thought they were good, but apparently they weren’t.

            “You’re wanted for not paying your protection fees, and attempted murder on an Outlaw peacekeeper,” one of the gunman said to her.

            She snorted, “Yeah, peacekeeper.” She received a rifle butt to her back right next to her shoulder blade, and she grunted, but tried to stand tall. Normally she would try and fight back, but she was fatigued, still tired from not having a good nights rest. She would have to take her chances in jail unless they were planning to kill her outright.

            “You’re coming with us.” They cuffed her, pushing her along through the slums and up the lift to the port. When she was finally pushed in front of Sloane in her little hideout she noticed an Angaran watching her curiously.

            “So, an initiative brat thinks she can come in here and do whatever she likes,” Sloane sent a seething glare her way, probably more pissed off about her undermining her operation. More than likely she heard of her exploits yesterday as well.

            Kiba shrugged, not really sure what kind of response she was supposed to give her. “So what happens now?”

            “You tell me what the fuck you’re doing here, that’s what.”

            “I’m looking into a murder. It’s got nothing to do with you or your people, but considering they’ve shot at me several times I’ve taken it as a free for all and responded in kind.”

            Sloane’s eyes narrowed, “so you admit you destroyed the formula for Oblivion?”

            “What are you talking about?”

            “Stop fucking around you little shit, you destroyed one of my bases. Who are you working for, the Charlatan?”

            “No,” she raised a brow. “They shot at me, I shot back. That Asari was an asshole so I destroyed her computers.”

            “I think you’re lying.”

            “I don’t really care what you think, Sloane. You dishonored the Alliance.”

            She began to laugh, “Oh god, what are you, Alliance garbage yourself? Sweetie, you’re delusional. Throw her in a cell, and send someone down to Ryota’s clinic. He was warned what would happen when he crossed me again.”

            She felt a pang of worry, but tried not to let it show. She had no way of warning the doctor, and now he was as good as dead. She felt bad, but no matter how much she tried to tap into her omni tool they must’ve found some way to disable it. Now would’ve been a good time to have Reyes along watching and waiting.

            She was thrown into a cell, a Turian standing on the other side waiting for her. “It’d be in your best interest to tell us what you know. Before the torture starts.”

            She leaned against the cell’s door, her cuffs clanking on the bars. “Have fun with that.” She fished her tags from her shirt holding one up. N7 was branded into it and he let out a sigh.

            “You’ll wish you were dead by the time we get done with you.” He left, silence occupied his exit. She wasn’t a fan of being tortured, she went through a gambit of virtual scenarios during N7 training, some things worse than torture, but she wasn’t thrilled about the possibility of going through it now. Ryota was probably in worse shape by now, a thought that sent her into more discomfort than her own fate.

            She leaned against the wall, sliding down to the floor, there was nothing she hated more right now than to be alone with her thoughts. Being idle and not doing anything made her think too much of what she lost. In her head she could barely say his name, but she wanted to despite the pain that hit her chest when she even thought of him.

            She missed her friends, her fellow soldiers. All of them were gearing up and ready for whatever was coming. Most of her crew believed Shepard’s warnings, believed that the reapers were coming. She saw the footage the Citadel tried to bury of Sovereign, that massive creature that nearly killed Shepard.

            She and her friends were ready for the war. They must’ve thought that she abandoned them. What ended up happening? She tried several times to see if she could tap into any links to the Milky Way but so far she hadn’t been able to. She just wanted to know they made it, that they lived their lives. Most of all, despite it hurting, she hoped that Nikkos was able to move on. That thought killed her most of all, but she wanted to know.

            Her fists curled into themselves, tight, sharp pain poking into her palms. She hated that she was here, and her eyes burned with the tears she refused to let fall. She took a deep breath, tried to calm her nerves. She could hear her mother in her head, gentle stories at bedtime of the tales her grandmothers had told to her when she was a child. Both of them had such rich history to share, ancestors filled with honor and great warriors. All that blood flowed through their veins, blood that she and her brother always tried to honor.

            Hours seemed to creep by, the stale light was sharp on her eyes, and the deafening sound of silence was aching. She still wasn’t able to get a signal to her omni tool, and she felt helpless as she looked around. She tried to spy some sort of opening, some sort of escape, but even she was coming up with nothing. She would have to attack whomever came into her cell to bring her to whatever torture room they had set up for her.

            After a few more moments passed by her ears picked up the faintest sound of a clank nearby. She stood, moving closer to the bars and listened. A door opened on the far side of the room and she was thrilled to see Reyes popping through, smirking as he made his way over.

            “You look like you’re waiting for someone,” he whispered and she couldn’t help the small thrill that shot through her at seeing him here.

            “Yeah, for a few hours. Thought you stood me up,” she responded in kind, causing his smirk to grow wider as he opened her cell.

            “Well, I can’t help being fashionably late.” She was happy to see him, almost giving him a damn hug, but quickly followed him out of the cell room and to the maintenance shaft he came through. He undid her cuffs, sliding them into his pocket, and he gave her a hoodie once they were out in the port.

            Under the cover of darkness they were soon back at Tartarus. Kian served them some drinks and he led her up to his private room. She eyed him curiously as she sipped her drink; it was too convenient and easy that he knew exactly where she was.

            “So what’d you do, bug me,” she asked and he let out a chuckle as he sat on the same couch as her.

            “That would be an invasion of privacy. The chase wouldn’t be as fun if that were the case,” his smile was warm, and instead of indulging, she buried herself into her drink as she got comfortable, pulling her legs underneath her up onto the couch.

            Something dawned on her and she nearly spilled her drink. “Ryota!” She couldn’t believe she forgot, and she shot up almost running to the door until she heard Reyes’s laughter from the couch.

            “Ryota is fine. Apparently the Charlatan keeps a watchful eye on him and his clinic. Sloane’s morons didn’t get anywhere near it. They gave up trying when a few of their men ended up dead.”

            She let out a sigh of relief, her heart rate slowly returning to normal. “I felt terrible…” She sat back down, leaning back into the couch. “So how did you know?”

            “A friend of mine saw you getting unceremoniously dragged into Sloane’s lair. She let me know what was going on.”

            She slowly nodded, “The Angaran that was watching me… You keeping tabs on me, Vidal?” She raised a brow.

            “I don’t want to see you get hurt. You’re not well liked by Sloane and her crew,” he frowned, the ease in his body tensing up. “I don’t know what happened to you, Fang, but I want to help you here.”

            She swallowed wanting to tell him everything but nothing at the same time. Instead she bristled, the bitter anger getting the better of her. “It’s none of your business.”

            He chuckled, a sad tone to it. “I’m well aware it’s none of my business, but I mean what I say when I tell you that I’m here for you. When my father died I thought it was unfair after everything he had to go through. He did everything he could to provide a good life for me and my… Well, I can barely call her my mother.” She saw the pain on his face. “She walked all over my father and he let her, worshipping the ground she walked on. She was… cold to him. To me from what I remember of her…”

            She watched him, the words seeming to spill from his lips. It was as if he wanted someone to share this with, as if he shared it with no one before. She wondered why he let his secrets spill, especially with her, but she remained quiet.

            “He was a fool… A sappy, romantic fool. But he was my papá…” he shrugged, “anyway, all I’m saying is… I understand being angry with the world, the universe. Take it from me that it’ll do you no good.”

            “Noted…” She was quiet as he sent a look her way, his head relaxed upon the back of his couch. He ran his hand through his hair and it was messy, so unlike the polished man she’d seen so far. “Stop trying to make me like you, Reyes.”

            A lazy smile appeared at his lips. “Why, Fang, are you warming up to me?”

            “Don’t press your luck.”

            “I believe I’m quite the lucky man,” his voice deepened, brows wiggled her way and she began to laugh. She couldn’t help that she forgot almost everything when she was around him. She drank away the little voice in the back of her mind, wanted to ease closer and feel the warmth of another body next to hers, but she hesitated. She didn’t used to hesitate.

            “I need to get going. There’s someone I need to have words with before I head out,” she said, seeing the look of disappointment on his face quickly covered up with a wry smile.

            “Need me to escort you to your shuttle?” He reached for her, his fingers sliding down the braid that settled over her shoulder.

            She downed the rest of her drink, shaking her head. “I can manage.” She placed her hand on his, the warmth of his touch made her yearn for more. Nikkos used to slide his palm against her cheek and she would place her hand upon his. Reyes’s hand felt different than Nikkos’, and that thought became clearer the longer her fingers lingered. He wasn’t Nikkos, and to use him to fill the void would be wrong no matter how much she wanted it to be right.

            She stood, his hand caught hers and she looked down at him. “What’s your name,” he asked, “I want to know who you are.”

            “I’m not sure I even know the answer to that right now.” She mumbled, his fingers slipped from hers and she made her way out. “If you need any help with anything… Let me know.”

            His smile was soft and warm, and she was sure it must’ve been just like his father’s. “Stop by anytime.” His voice lingered with her as she made her way through the pounding of the club’s music. Bodies dancing, drunk, trying to forget the shithole that they were currently living in. Why did anyone agree to come to Andromeda, she wondered, and the haze in her head began to make her head hurt.

            She meandered her way through the slums, heading for Ryota’s clinic, feeling relief when she saw him there diligently working on a patient. When he saw her, relief washed over his face as well.

            “Are you okay,” he quickly asked. “I heard Sloane took you into custody.”

            “I’m fine,” she responded.

            He frowned her way, brows furrowing in concern. “You look sick.”

            “Just tipsy,” she shrugged.

            “You should drink some water and get some sleep,” he eyed her. “But I owe you my thanks.”

            She waved her hand as she leaned against one of the unoccupied gurneys. He had fewer people in here today than before. “It was nothing.”

            “That’s not true. You’ve potentially saved the lives of a lot of people, and it almost got you killed by Sloane… You risked your life, and I don’t know if I can ever repay you.”

            “Keep helping people.”

            “If there’s anything you ever need, come find me.”

            She nodded, lingering for a moment longer. “You were on the Nexus when it got to Andromeda. Do you know what happened to Jien?”

            He stared at her a moment before shaking his head. “The official report? She was killed by the scourge.”

            “The unofficial?”

            “It always sounded strange to me. I managed to find her file and her wounds were not scourge related. They didn’t want to invest time in her case, and Tann was too willing to let it go.”

            “Did you come across anything?”

            “No… Why do you ask? Are you investigating?” He almost seemed amused that she would be wasting her time on a murder rather than something else important in this wasteland of a galaxy. She needed something to focus on, didn’t want to face her brother, didn’t want to accept that she was here. If she could focus on something like a case, something that brought her back to her days in the Alliance then she’d chase that for now.

            “Yes, I am.”

            “Well, that’s… I’m surprised, really. It’s not as if there was some investigative division set up. With all hell having broken loose on the Nexus, they weren’t exactly caring about this kind of thing. Did they set this up since we left?”

            “No one asked. I figured this was a better use of my time,” she partially lied.  
            “So your investigation brought you to Kadara?”

            “I figured this was the only place habitable enough for someone to flee to. Have you heard any rumors around here? Secrets?”

            He chuckled, “The secrecy of Kadara is rising at an exponential rate. The Charlatan and their collective order could be the place to look.”

            “You say that about your saviors.”

            “ _If_ they’re really the ones, however I’m not averse to looking the other way as long as my patients are taken care of. But no one better expect me to endorse them. I’m not trading one gang for another.”

            So the Charlatan could be the mysterious benefactor, she wondered. It would make some sort of sense, especially if they were throwing around money already. Though something didn’t exactly sit right with her about this situation. If the benefactor murdered Jien, why would they be so willing to do something as simple as save Ryota and fund his clinic? There was also the matter of them doing what they could to undermine Sloane’s operation.

            “Did you know that there was a benefactor for the Andromeda Initiative? Jien’s money ran out, and suddenly someone swooped in with an unlimited amount of funding.” Ryota looked surprised when she said so. “You think that’s the Charlatan too?”

            He seemed to mull it over, but was uncertain, “I don’t know. Could be? Though the Collective seemed to pop out of nowhere, like they took a while to get started. Also… No, that’s silly…”

            “What,” she asked.

            “Well, there was this silly rumor that some of my patients talked about. That somewhere on Kadara there’s this Utopian sort of place. The people who have tried to go haven’t gotten very far, and usually end up coming back to me for help. Be it dehydration or getting caught between the crossfire. People make things up when you’re living in a desperate situation. Either you live crammed into the port here paying Sloane’s protection fees, or you take a risk out there.”

            “Is that all you’ve heard?”

            “Yes, but it’s just a rumor right? I can’t see anyone getting that far out there, especially without proper shuttles.” She was thinking now, staring at the ground when Ryota chuckled. “You really don’t believe that do you?”

            She snapped out of her thoughts with a shrug. “Can’t hurt to check it out.” She gave him a smile, and he thanked her once again before she left.

            She made her way to the gates, pep in her step as she unceremoniously slammed the door open. The Warden flinched, but before his guards could ask what was going on she shot both of them and rammed her gun into the Krogan’s face.

            “You want to explain to me why you took my money and sold me out?” She growled, and his eyes widened. He wasn’t expecting her after being taken away, but he probably hadn’t expected her outburst after her nonchalant attitude. She shot the wall beside his head. “TALK!”

            “Alright, alright! Sloane found out I was letting you through, I had no choice. We have to do what we have to do!” She shot her gun lower down the wall and he yelped. “I’ll just tell Sloane you threatened me! She’ll have the Outlaws after you!”

            She smirked, standing tall in front of the Krogan. “You’re not going to tell her anything, because I know all about the Krogan anatomy and where your most vulnerable spots are. If you want to live, you forget what happened, because the last thing you want is a pissed off N7 who knows just where to stick a knife to cause the max amount of pain without killing you.” She saw the look in his eyes, he was scared, but she decided to lay it on thicker. “Alright, I see you think I’m not being serious,” she switched the setting on her gun, incendiary rounds were now active. She moved closer, shot a hot round into his foot and placed the muzzle up underneath his chin amidst his cries.

            “OKAY,” he shouted, grunting out his pain. “We’re square! I swear it, just leave! Fucking leave you asshole.”

            She stared him down until she finally eased away. “Cross me again and it won’t only be your foot on fire. Got it?”

            “Yes.”

            She shot another round, bouncing it off the armor at his hump just for good measure. More for the enjoyment of seeing him yelp again. Once she was out the door she made her way down the dirt path into the night. She didn’t enjoy letting _that_ part of her N7 training out, but the way she saw it, this was the wild west that she’d read about in books. She wouldn’t get anywhere by playing nice here, and she wasn’t intending to be nice with these sorts any longer.

**Author's Note:**

> Name Pronunciations:   
> Kiba: Key-buh  
> Sessue: Sess-sue-way


End file.
